The pilot introduced himself as Michael Reyes. He explained that nearly fifty years earlier, Dad had saved his life during a terrible airplane accident. Michael had been only ten years old, traveling alone to visit his grandmother. The aircraft encountered a dangerous emergency and crashed in a snowy field. Several passengers were injured, and smoke quickly filled the cabin. Dad, who had been a young flight attendant, refused to abandon the passengers.
Michael explained that Dad had carried him through the freezing darkness to safety. The silver wings were a gift he had received afterward. I looked at my father, unable to believe the story unfolding before me.
